Vibratory mechanism for feeding and separating finely divided materials



Nov. 1, 1960 J. M. KLEISER VIBRATORY MECHANISM FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Deo, 7, 1959 l l l l 7:/

f5 s? l l 49 l 4l JAMES M. KLE/sER 39 @4f/WL 35/"1\/0 B @uw ATTORNEYS Novl, 1960 J. M. KLEISER 2,958,421

VIBRATORY MECHANISM FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 7, 1959 Wvg/vroeg JAMES M. KLE/SE'R ywwfw A Trop/vn;

United States Patent VIBRATORY MECHANISM FOR FEEDING AND SEPARATING FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS James M. Kleiser, Waldo Rohuert Co., Hollister, Calif.

Filed Dec. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 857,774

3 Claims. (Cl. 209-480) The present invention relates to means for separating finely divided materials, and pertains more particularly to a vibratory bed type mechanism for feeding and separating seeds and other materials.

A In the past, various mechanism have been developed for the transferring of materials by means of a vibrating trough or bed, and some of such prior mechanisms have also had provisions for separating, by variations in size, weight or other characteristics, particles of a different nature passing across such bed.

`The present invention contemplates the provision of Van improved, vibrating bed mechanism which may be adjusted to accurately control the feeding of particles from a feed hopper onto the vibrating bed of such mechanism, and for closely and accurately adjusting the bed, both as to the character of its surface and its attitude, so as to provide for very accurate separation of particles which are intermingled in the hopper as these particles are advanced across the vibrating bed.

The invention also provides an improved conveyor and separator for finely divided materials of different characteristics so as to divide such materials, at the terminal or discharge end of said vibrating bed, in accordance with weight and size characteristics of such particles.

A further object of the invention is to make an improved and simplified vibrating bed mechanism for separating seeds and other linely divided materials having different characteristics.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mechanism embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, the lower portions of a supporting stand being broken away.

Fig. 3 is `an enlarged, end elevational view of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of said Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged, sectional View taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged, fragmentary, plan View looking in the direction of the arrows 5 5 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similarly enlarged, longitudinal, sectional view taken along line 6 6 of Fig. 3, portions being broken away.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a vibratory separating mechanism A with a supporting stand 10, having a rst or lowermost table 11 hingedly connected to one end thereof for longitudinal tilting adjustment of Said rst table and the structure supported therein. A screw cran'k 12 at the other end of the support stand controls tilting adjustment of the first table 11.

A second table 13 is hingedly connected, for lateral tilting adjustment, to one side of the first table 11, and -a screw actuated toggle 15 controls the lateral tilting of the second table 13. A third table 17 is resiliently sup- "2,958,421 Patented Nov. l, 1960 ICC ported on the second table 13 by four identical coil springs 18, one of which interconnects each of the superposed corners of the second and third tables 11 and 13.

A vibrating deck 19 is supported, by four leaf springs 20, 21, 22 and 23, in upwardly spaced relation to the third table 17. An electro-magnetic vibrator B of a well known type is mounted on the third table 17, and is connected, by a leaf spring 24, to a deck panel 25. A retaining wall 27 is provided around the upper surface of the deck 19 and is adapted to receive interchangeable deck surfacing plates 28 between said retaining wall and the deck. Different plates 28 have surfaces 28a thereof of different characteristics.

A feed hopper C is mounted on a support arm 29 secured to the third table 17, and a length of soft rubber hose 30, is fitted telescopically, and with a frictional grip, onto a feed tube 31 `from the hopper C. The hose 30 is adapted to be adjusted manually upwardly or downwardly on the feed tube 31 to control the feed rate of material from the hopper C, between the lower end of the hose and the deck, and thence onto the deck 19.

Discharge mechanism D comprises a plurality of tiltably adjustable dellector plates 32, best illustrated in Fig. 3, is provided at the opposite end of the deck 19 from the feed hopper C to direct material, separated from each other by the action of the mechanism A, into selected discharge tubes 33, and thence into sacks 34 mounted one beenath each of the tubes. This discharge mechanism D is supported on the second table 13 as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated support stand 1li is in the form of an open top table, with laterally inwardly inclined legs 35, and a pair of bracing bands 37 and 38 encircling the legs 35 and secured thereto. A pair of hinge brackets 39 are secured to one end of the support stand 10, and a second pair of hinge brackets 4t) are secured to the under side of the first table 11. These hinge brackets 39 and 40 are aligned to receive a hinge rod 41 therein so that the rst table 11 is thus hingedly connected, at one end thereof, to the support stand 10.

The crank 12 has a threaded shank portion 42 thereof screwed into a nut 43 (Fig. 2) hingedly mounted on a bracket 43 which is secured to the opposite end of the support stand 10 from the hinge brackets 39. The crank shank 42 has a ball 45 on its upper end which rides in a socket 47 mounted on the under side of the lirst table 11. Thus, by turning the crank 12 in a selected direction, the left hand end of the first table 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2, may be raised or lowered to adjust the longitudinal tilt of the rst table.

IA pair of rectangular blocks 48 and 49 are secured one across each end of the rst table 11. The second table 13 may be similar in size and shape to the rst table 11, and one side thereof is hingedly connected, by hinges 50, to the same ends of the blocks 48 and 49 of the first table 11.

The toggle 15 for laterally tilting the second table 13 relative to the first table 11 comprises two pairs of togg e links 51 and 52. One end of each of the upper pair of links 51 is pivotally connected to a bracket 53 secured to the under side of the second table 13, and one end of each of the lower pair of links 52 is similarly pivotally connected to a bracket 54 secured to the top of the rst table 11. Pivot pins 55, mounted one in each end of a center bar 57, pivotally interconnect the other ends of the two pairs of links 51 and 52 as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The center bar 57 is provided with a central threaded opening for threadedly receiving the threaded shank 53 of a crank screw 59.

The toggle actuating crank screw 59 is provided with a collar flange 60 (Fig. 4) thereon, and the shank 58 thereof is inserted through a hole provided therefor in a bracket arm 61 secured to the first table 11 and extending upwardly therefrom. The hole (not shown) in the bracketv arm 61 for the shank 58 of the cran'k screw 59 is of a size to permit wobble movement of the shank 58 therein to prevent the latter from binding on the bracket arm 61 as the screw changes yits angular position relative to the bracket arm.

The four lidentical coil springs 18 are mounted with their ends inserted in recesses `62 (Fig. 6) provided therefor in the top of the second table 13 and in the under side of the third table 17. These springs are of a length and strength to provide soft, cushioning support for the third table 17 and its supported structure.

The feed hopper C comprises an inverted pyramidal shaped funnel portion 63 of sheet metal with integrally connected metal feed tube 31 extending downwardly therefrom and terminating well above the deck 19. The resilient hose 30 is fitted onto the feed tube 31 sufficiently tightly to remain in adjusted position thereon, but to be adjustable axially of said tube by manually gripping said hose. While simple, this structure permits the hose to be adjusted relative to the deck in desired closeness and does not vibrate out of adjustment.

The hopper support arm 29 is of suitable material, such as, for example a suitable steel alloy tubing, and is bent at 65 to clear the deck 19. The lower end of the support arm 29 is attached by brackets 64 (Fig. 2) to the left hand end of the third table 17 so as to transmit a slight vibratory impulse from the third table to the feed hopper C and thus insure proper feeding of the material from the hopper.

The four identical leaf springs 20, 21, 22 and 23 which support the deck 19 are connected at their upper and lower ends, by bolts 67 and 68, to blocks 69 and '70, secured to the under side of the deck 19, and to the upper side of the third table 17, respectively. These four leaf springs are mounted with their wider, flat sides parallel to each other, and to the longitudinal center line of the third table 17. The two springs on each side of the third table 17 are disposed in the same plane, and all four of the springs 2i?, 21, 22 and 23 are similarly tilted transversely relative to a perpendicular plane through the longitudinal center line of the third table.

The vibrator mechanism B which, as stated previously herein is of a well known type, has a heavy base portion 71 which may be of cast iron. This base portion 71 is'secured to the third table 17, as by screws 72 (Fig. 4), and a magnet coil 73 is fixedly mounted on the base 71. The coil 73 is adapted to be intermittently energized by either a pulsating direct, or an alternating electric current supplied thereto from a suitable source through a conventional two-conductor cord 74. A leaf spring 24 is conventionally supplied as an integral part of the vibrating mechanism B, and is mounted with its flat sides parallel to those of the four springs 20, 21, 22 and 23 to move the deck 19 exactly transversely of its length. The four leaf springs 2i), 21, 22 and 23 are of a strength designed to substantially balance that of the v-ibrator spring 24.

An armature 77 on the short end portion `75a of the vibrator leaf spring 24 is of magnetically permeable material, and is spaced from the core 78 of the electromagnet coil 73 by a usual air gap 79. The armature 77 is of a size to provide a strong vibratory urge to the spring 75 when said armature is subjected to a pulsating magnetic field created by the coil 73 when the latter is subjected to a pulsating or alternating electric current. Such vibrating mechanisms are well known under the trade name Syntrom and are described, with rnodifications, in various patents, such as, for example, Patent No. 2,094,697 to J. A. Flint issued October 5, 1937, and Patent No. 2,187,717 issued to C. F. Weyandt issued January V23, 1940. It will, therefore, be unnecessary to describe the vibrating mechanism B in further detail herelThe deck panel 25 preferably is relatively light in weight and very stiff. Plywood approximately 3A of an inch in thickness has been found satisfactory for this member 25 for a deck approximately four feet in length. To attain additional rigidity, inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention, a plywood reinforcing strip is secured to the under side of the deck panel25`.

The deck enclosure wall 27, which may be of aluminum angle strip material, is secured to surround a required upper surface area of the deck panel 25. This wall material may be conventional 1/16 by 1/2 by 3A inch aluminum angle strip material, mounted with the half inch leg 27a thereof secured to the deck panel 25. The sides of the deck enclosure wall are releasably secured to the deck panel 25 by screws 25a (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) which may be unscrewed slightly to free a deck plate 28 for replacement, and again screwed down to grip the new deck plate after such replacement.

A plurality of the deck surfacing plates 28- may be provided. Each deck surfacing plate 28 is of aV width to extendV beneath the side enclosure wall membersf and between the wall hold down screws 25a'.

The separating action of the present invention-varies substantially With changes in the nature of the deck surface. For some types of seeds and materials a better separating action is attained where the deck surface is rough, while for other materials a smoother surface is preferable. Varations in surface texture and roughness may be provided, for example, by providing a deck surfacing plate 28 of 1/16 inch thick, hard pressed wood panel material having one smoth side and the other side having the characteristic, fabric-like roughness of this well known, material. For extreme smoothness a deck surfacing plat`e'28'of glass or polished aluminum may be provided, while variations in surface texture and roughness may be provided by coating such a panel with paper, sandpaper, or other materials having a surface of a character required.

In operating the present mechanism an operator will rst inspect a sample, for example a hand full, of the material to be processed, and will then select and insert through the slotV 81 in the deck wall 27 a deck surfacing plate 28 having a surface which the operator considers satisfactory for the material to be processed. No'hard and fast rule can be given at this time for the selection of a satisfactory deck surfacing plate, except that usually whenthe material to be processed is extremely finely divided, a' smoother or liner texture surface is preferable to a coarser one.

The resilient feed hose 30 is then adjusted on the feed tube 31 to an estimated proper distance from the deck surfacing plate 28, and the hopper C is filled with a required'quantity of the material to be separated. This rubber or resilient feed tube, while simple is the only elecadjusted by manually moving the hose up or down on the feed tube 31 as'desired. In the event thatsome large object, such as a dead moth, tends to clog the ow of material the lower end of the hose may be swung laterally free` of the surfacing plate to allow such obstruction to fall out of the hose, and upon release of the hose its resilient nature returns it immediately to its adjusted feeding.

position.

Sacks 34 are mounted on holders 82 provided therefor on' the end block 49 of the first table 11, one for each of the discharge' tubes 33, and the materials flowing through the tubes 33 gravitates into these sacks.

The crank screw 12 is operated to adjust therst table 11 to an estimated proper longitudinal tilt for the material to be separated, and the toggle 15 is alsov operated'byv means of the crank screw 59 to provide a desired lateral tiltfor the second table 13 and the structure supported thereon.

The magnet coil 73 is then energized to alternately attract and either release or repel the armature 77 of the vibrator B. This causes a transverse vibration of the deck 19, `and since all of the leaf springs 20, 21, 22 and 23, as Wellas the spring 24 of the vibrator C are inclined from the vertical by a slight angle, a combined transverse and vertical oscillation of the deck 19 is thus provided.

- On each stroke of the armature 77 toward the left from its position illustrated in Fig. 4, the deck 19 is moved slightly to the left and downwardly, while upon each opposite stroke of the armature 77 the deck 19 is moved to the right and upwardly. This action of the deck under the vibratory oscillations produced by the vibrator C tend to draw the seeds or other particles from the lower end of the rubber hose 30 onto the deck 19, and, when on the deck, to toss the seeds or the particles in recurring cycles upwardly toward the right hand edge of the deck, while gravity tends to return them toward the lower side of the sloping deck.

Seeds or other particles of different sizes and weight tend to localize in certain zones transversely of the deck surfacing plate 28 under this action, and these zones can be changed by adjusting the lateral tilt of the second table 13 and the structure supported thereon by means of the toggle 15. The rate of flow of the material lengthwise along the deck 19 may be increased or decreased as required by increasing or decreasing the longitudinal tilt of the first table 11 by means of the crank 12.

As the material approaches the discharge end of the deck 19 the material will have been divided into separate well defined zones transversely of the deck according to differences in size, weight, or other characteristics of the particles of such material, and the deliector plates 32 of the discharge mechanism D may be swung so that the material from selected zones thereof will be discharged between selected defiector plates and thence through selected discharge tubes 33 into the sacks 34 into which these tubes are directed.

The discharge mechanism D is supported by band metal legs 87 (Figs. 2 and 4) secured by screws 88 to the end of the non-vibrating second table 13. Rubber pads 89 are interposed between the legs 87 and the table 13 to permit adjustment of the spacing between the deck 19 and the discharge mechanism D. Drawing down on the screws 88 compresses the resilient blocks 89 and moves the discharge mechanism D closer to the deck 19, while backing out of these screws reverses such adjustment.

The invention has been found to be extremely effective even in separating materials which have heretofore been almost impossible to sparate, for example, morning glory seed and radish seed. These two seeds are almost identical in size and weight, but dider slightly in texture.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and easily operated mechanism which permits rapid and effective separation of various seeds and other finely divided materials, and one which may be easily adjusted during operation to provide for a required flow rate and degree of separation of the various ingredients of the material being acted upon.

The interchangeable deck plates permit a wide variation in the surface texture of the vibrating deck surface over which the materials pass during the separating action, and the working stresses of the mechanism are not transmitted beyond the area where these stresses are effective.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as newfand desire to protect by Letters Patent is dened the following claims.

v1.A vibrating deck mechanism for separating indiscriminately intermixed, finely divided materials, said mechanism comprising a supporting base,` a first table hingedly mounted on said base for longitudinal tilting adjustment, means for tiltably adjusting said first table, a second table hingedly connected to said first table for lateral tilting adjustment, means for tiltably adjusting the second table, a third table, cushion spring means supporting the third table in parallel, spaced relation to the second table, a vibrator mounted on the third table, a vibrating element of said vibrator mounted to vibrate directly transversely of the third table, a fiat deck member, a plurality of leaf springs supporting the deck in vertically spaced relation, and parallel to, the third table, said leaf springs being parallel to each other and tilted laterally relative to a longitudinal plane perpendicular to the third table and to said deck, means connecting the vibrating element of the vibrator to the deck to vibrate the latter directly transversely of its length, a retaining wall surrounding the sides and upper end of the upper surface of the deck, feed means mounted at the upper end of the deck when the latter is tilted by the longitudinal adjusting means for the first table for feeding finely divided material onto the deck, a plurality of discharge chutes mounted in laterally separated relation at the lower end of the deck, vane means adjustably mounted between adjacent discharge chutes and adjustable transversely of the deck to direct into selected ones of said chutes streams of finely divided material fed from the feed means and separated by the action of the vibrator on the deck.

2. A vibrating deck mechanism for separating indiscriminately intermixed, finely divided materials, said mechanism comprising a supporting base, a first table hingedly mount-ed on said base for longitudinal tilting adjustment, means for tiltably `adjusting said first table, a second table hingedly connected to said first table for lateral tilting adjustment, means for tiltably adjusting the second table, a third table, cushion spring means supporting the third table in parallel, spaced relation to the second table, a vibrator mounted on the third table, a vibrating element of said vibrator mounted to vibrate directly transversely of the third table, a fiat deck member, a plurality of leaf springs supporting the deck in 'vertically spaced relation, and parallel to, the third table, said leaf spring being parallel to each other and tilted laterally relative to a longitudinal plane perpendicular to the third table and to said deck, the vibrating element being connected to the deck to vibrate the latter directly transversely of its length, a retaining wall surrounding the sides and upper end of the upper surface of the deck, a feed hopper mounted in upwardly spaced relation to the upper end of the deck when the latter is tilted by the longitudinal adjusting means for the first table and spaced upwardly therefrom, a resilient hose leading from the feed hopper and with its lower end in overall contact with the deck, said hose being Iadjustable upwardly and downwardly to thereby vary the pressure of the lower end of the hose on the deck, whereby vibration of the deck feeds finely divided material from the hopper between the end of the hose and the deck onto the deck, and means for selectively collecting streams of finely divided material fed from the feed means and separated by the laction of the vibrator on the deck.

3. A vibrating deck mechanism for separating indiscriminately intermixed, -nely divided materials, said mechanism comprising a supporting base, a first table hingedly mounted on said base for tilting yadjustment about a horizontal axis, means for tiltably adjusting said first table about such axis, a second table hingedly connected to said first table for tilting adjustment about a horizontal axis normal to that of the first table, means for Atiltably adjusting the second table-V aboutit's; hinge axis, a third table, cushioning means supporting the third table in parallel, spaced* relation to theseco'nd table, a `vifbrat'or mounted ori the third table, a' vibrating'element` of said vibrator mounted tq vibrate in a verticalpla'ne parallel to the hinge axis' of one' of saidfirst and second tables, a flat deck member, spring means supportingthe deck member in parallel, spaced relation to the third table, means connecting the vibrating element of the vibrator to the deck to vibrate the latter directly transversely of itsV length, a retaining wall surrounding7 the sides and upper end of the upper surface of the deck, feed means mounted to feed finely divided'material ontoI the deck' and within the upper end retaining wall, a'- plu'l' rality of discharge chutes mounted' in laterally separatedrelation at the lower end ofthe deck to receive material References Cited in theV le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,720 Murphy Jari. 2,3, 1,900 1,417,682 Overstrom May 370, 19.22 1,505,735 Stebbins Y Aug. 19, 1924; 1,579,993 Andre Y Y Apr. 6, 1921's 2,063,926 Hartman Dec. 15, 19316 2,137,679 Sutton Nov. 22, '1938" 

